Dollywood and Gatlinburg! Who’s been?

[tikilyn]

We're also planning a trip for end of July. We've rented a cabin that I'm hoping we don't regret. I stupidly booked the cabin and after I found some not so great reviews of the company and their cabins. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I've started a spread sheet for each day we are in the area. It's so hard to plan. I'm not sure how much time to a lot for various places we want to see. I've split out trip into 3 days for Pigeon Forge and 3 days Gatlinburg.

My family wants to do a few museums, mountain coasters, mini golf, a dinner show or two, Dollywood and the National parks. I seriously don't know how I'm going to fit it all in in 6 days! ack.......

 

[TwoMisfits]

We're also planning a trip for end of July. We've rented a cabin that I'm hoping we don't regret. I stupidly booked the cabin and after I found some not so great reviews of the company and their cabins. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I've started a spread sheet for each day we are in the area. It's so hard to plan. I'm not sure how much time to a lot for various places we want to see. I've split out trip into 3 days for Pigeon Forge and 3 days Gatlinburg.

My family wants to do a few museums, mountain coasters, mini golf, a dinner show or two, Dollywood and the National parks. I seriously don't know how I'm going to fit it all in in 6 days! ack.......

6 days is a great amount of time...
For most attractions, you can divide the day into morning/afternoon/evening...I mean, Dollywood would be the whole day, but the Titanic Museum (also a lot of fun) with just be morning...Anakeesta (which I enjoyed) can also fit in morning or afternoon...same for the aquarium or Ripley's attractions...dinner shows would be evening. It all works when you break it down...

 

[#1hoosierfan]

The aquarium is nice if you have never been

Hillbilly golf is my fave.

No trip is complete without a visit to The Pancake Pantry and Smoky Mountain Brewing Company.

 

[Lehuaann]

Ditto on the aquarium. We used to take our (now grown) kids there and to Dollywood/Splash when they were young. And Cades Cove, too. A must-do for local history and wildlife viewing (we saw bears during our last trip).

For restaurants, you might want to check out The Apple Barn. You can walk around and shop while you wait. The apple fritters and apple butter are

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I've been to Gatlinburg, I enjoyed the Crime Museum. I wanted to do the Titanic, but 2020 being what it was, it just did not work out. I guess that is actually Pigeon Forge maybe but it is close.

 

[disny_luvr]

Definitely make sure you spend time in the national park. It is so beautiful! There are many, many awesome hiking trails. I am on a few Gatlinburg/PF FB groups and I can’t believe how many go to the area and don’t visit the national park.

We were there last summer for six days. We stayed in a cabin just above Gatlinburg, right next to the lift up to the Sky Bridge. We loved the area, but found it very touristy. We didn’t care for PF at all. Like I mentioned above, we visited the national park the most, but did play mini-golf at Hillbilly Golf, we rode a mountain coaster, and went tubing in Townsend (we used River Rat - so fun!)

Have a great time! It’s a beautiful area!

 

[kymom99]

Hillbilly golf is iconic. I second the titanic experience. In the Village in gatlinburg there is an amazing bakery if it is still there. Also the pancake pantry. I’ve stayed lots of places in gatlinburg and pigeon forge. My favorite was baskins creek condos because you can just walk a few blocks and be on the strip. Otherwise you have to deal with gatlinburg traffic.

almost forgot to mention the Dixie stampede. We have gone several times but not sure if it’s status right now. The Apple Barn is a great place to eat too.
I’ve been to Dollywood twice. It’s a fun park for all ages.

 

[Kellykins1218]

My kid's favorite thing to do was the Bush's Baked Beans Visitor Center

 

[mandy200587]

We discovered The Diner when we went in november, one pancake was enough for me cause it was the size of the plate.

 

[ctipp79]

Went last year and had a blast. They were having a classic car show so we got to see a ton of classic cars on the Main Street. We did Dollywood, some of the different Ripley museums, the aquarium, and really just wandered around there and Pigeon Forge.

 

[maxaroni]

DH & I went a number of years ago and had a fabulous time. We had never been to the area but the main part of our trip was the national park. We went into the park for a piece of each day and enjoyed it immensely. We stayed one block off of the strip in Gatlinburg, so easy access. We weren’t into much of the touristy things but enjoyed walking the strip, especially after dinner. We did go to the Titanic museum and a few other things. One free thing that was fun was Bush’s baked beans, getting a photo with Duke! When asked where we were going on vacation, we said the Smokey Mountains, not Gatlinburg, as it was our main reason for going to the area.

 

[WVU Disney Fan]

Another side trip that we would NOT recommend is rafting on the Little Pigeon River. It was a joke. Our guide purposely steered the raft into a rock to give us a little excitement and tried to tell us that was a Class III rapid. He's apparently never even seen a Class III -- the entire trip was Class I, easy. Ripoff.

There is some seriously good rafting in the Appalachians, but Little Pigeon is a joke!

If you want good white come to West Virginia in late September or early October and raft “the gulley” on the New River when they drain Summerville lake.

 

[Firedog]

If you want good white come to West Virginia in late September or early October and raft “the gulley” on the New River when they drain Summerville lake.

It's actually the "Gauley" River, which is separate from the "New" River. Water will be much colder in fall, but supposed to be very intense. A group of us did the lower New River last summer and it was great. Class III - Class IV rapids. The Gauley in September and October has class III - V rapids and is the real deal.

 

[WVU Disney Fan]

I’ve done the lower New River twice and loved it but haven’t got chance to do the “Gauley” but hoping to some day.

 

[willowsnn3]

Hey everyone! Planning a trip to Dollywood and Gatlinburg this summer and I’m looking for some pro tips. Help! It’s our first time going to this area.

Glad to see this thread. We have rented a cabin in Gatlinberg for May 14th thru May 17th. Plan on spending the 15th at Dollywood. Will be our first time also. That will also be the opening day for the water park there also so will probably be crowded.
I mostly want to see the shows. Will try to report back when we return.

 

[Ericcartmanfan23]

I’ve been there for a family reunion.

 

[Kae]

We're also planning a trip for end of July. We've rented a cabin that I'm hoping we don't regret. I stupidly booked the cabin and after I found some not so great reviews of the company and their cabins. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I've started a spread sheet for each day we are in the area. It's so hard to plan. I'm not sure how much time to a lot for various places we want to see. I've split out trip into 3 days for Pigeon Forge and 3 days Gatlinburg.

My family wants to do a few museums, mountain coasters, mini golf, a dinner show or two, Dollywood and the National parks. I seriously don't know how I'm going to fit it all in in 6 days! ack.......

If you are planning on Cooking in your cabin take a good knife & Skillet. We still laugh about our first trip with friends I was cutting potatoes and the knife was so bad they would shoot out as I would cut them and my friends DH kept catching them and in the morning the skillet was so thin the eggs would burn the minute I dropped them in.

The Aquarium is awesome.

 

[Moochie13]

Following...I'm hoping to get there this summer. Pigeon Forge is a place I've wanted to visit for a long time.

 

[Alicefan]

We're also planning a trip for end of July. We've rented a cabin that I'm hoping we don't regret. I stupidly booked the cabin and after I found some not so great reviews of the company and their cabins. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I've started a spread sheet for each day we are in the area. It's so hard to plan. I'm not sure how much time to a lot for various places we want to see. I've split out trip into 3 days for Pigeon Forge and 3 days Gatlinburg.

My family wants to do a few museums, mountain coasters, mini golf, a dinner show or two, Dollywood and the National parks. I seriously don't know how I'm going to fit it all in in 6 days! ack.......

You won't need any of that. You also don't need to split your days if you don't want to because Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are right down the street from each other and hardly worth calling them different names. 3 miles around a few curves at best. You'll find yourself bouncing back and forth between areas. It's not a Disney trip so you can be a lot more relaxed and just drive around looking and stopping at places that look like fun. It WILL however be extremely crowded and traffic is horrible. I spend every Christmas there and go up at least 3 times a year because my best friend lives an hour from there. It's fun! So much to do, just don't over think it.

 

[WVU Disney Fan]

Traffic can be a nightmare there at times so leave a little early for stuff. Also when we do things in Gatlinburg we just find a place to park then just walk everywhere, much easier. Pigeon Forge you are the mercy of traffic though.

Great area though been there 3 times in the last 5-6 years. We call it “Myrtle Beach in the Mountains” lol